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Ontario teachers call Hudak’s education plans 'dangerous'

Ontario teachers being warned a PC government would be 'dangerous' to education because of bigger class sizes, job cuts.

PC leader Tim Hudak's plans to raise class sizes and cut teachers is “an outright attack on publicly funded education in this province,” said Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario. (THE CANADIAN PRESS)

Ontario teachers’ unions have declared war on the Progressive Conservatives after leader Tim Hudak announced plans that include increasing class sizes, decreasing staff — especially in full-day kindergarten — and a pay freeze.

Sam Hammond, president of the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, called the proposals “dangerous,” and said his members will work to ensure the PCs aren’t elected in June.

“In the interest of students in this province and in the interest of publicly funded education we are telling our members . . . that we must do everything possible to stop Tim Hudak and his Conservatives from forming the next government so they cannot implement what they’ve put forward in their platforms,” said Hammond.

Unions say 19,000 teaching and support staff jobs would be lost under the PCs plan.

The proposal is to boost class sizes in grades 1 to 3 from 20 to 23 students, from 24.5 to 26 students in grades 4 to 8 and high school classes from 22 to 24.

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The PCs also want full-day kindergarten to be taught by a teacher only, eliminating the help of an early childhood educator.

Wage hikes for all teachers — movement up the salary grid — as well as a promised 2-per-cent “catch-up” raise for public elementary teachers would be axed.

“In Greater Toronto, it won’t cost all beginning teachers their jobs, but it would include quite a chunk of them,” warned James Ryan, who heads the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association.

“Outside of Greater Toronto, potentially every teacher in their first 10 years could be at risk.”

As for small class sizes, even three additional students “makes a huge difference in class” given the needs of today’s youth, said Michael Barrett, president of the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association.

Cuts to support staff are also on the table — some 9,700 jobs across the province — meaning fewer caretakers, education assistants and school secretaries.

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